“Since the release of the winter dredge survey, experts have cautioned that a scarcity of juvenile crabs could result in more challenging harvest conditions later this year and next,” said Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton. “This decision is the result of partners in science and industry developing consensus to achieve what is best for the health and ongoing productivity of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab fishery.”

7 comments:

3:44Maybe for crab meat but probably not significantly for hard crabs. It will affect Watermen in the Southern MD bay more than the Northern areas. While MD keeps making it harder and harder for their own citizens Virginia allows their Watermen to keep females with eggs!

I bet that is the whole (sole) reason for the crabs suddenly and mysteriously being "scarce". At the beginning of the year there was an "abundance" of crabs, the most they had seen in a long time. Now, however, as the 4th of July approaches, no one can seem to find any crabs? BS.

Well every year bad water strikes and crabs shed around the Fourth of July so yea it's kinda hard to get quality crabs around this time. Been the same way for decades. Nothing to do with the population, just a product of natural cycles.